About me and my approach

My name is Shema, and I am a qualified, IFS-informed counsellor registered with the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

I have worked with individuals ranging from 6 to 90+ years old, from all walks of life and varying backgrounds. My experience in teaching and as a counsellor has shown me that a multifaceted approach works best as one “size fits all” just doesn’t seem to work.

To ensure I am up to date with the latest research, I continue to attend further training and participate in research, as well as undergoing continual supervision. My qualifications and research are extensive – please contact me for more details.

How I Work

I am an IFS-informed (trained by IFSCA ), pluralistic counsellor, which means I combine methods from different approaches into the formula which works best for you. We can discuss your own preferences and goals to understand how counselling can work for you. You can read more about the pluralistic approach and how it differs from other approaches on the pluralistic website . I love what I do and enjoy regularly following advancements in counselling and psychotherapy, and have learned a wide range of diverse approaches to continually challenge my understanding. Although I use a wide range of these approaches, I found that the combination of Memory Reconsideration and Internal Family system (IFS) works great. Both these approaches are evidence-based, have a neuroscientific basis and are very much experiential.

I Have a Pluralistic Philosophy

I don’t believe that “one size fits all”. Instead, I believe that because your challenges and experiences are unique to you, they should be explored as such.

My Role

My role is to understand the world and how you are experiencing it from your point of view. Everything you say is confidential, and I’m not here to judge anything you say. My job is to create an environment in which you feel safe enough to explore anything you want without fear of judgment or shame. I will help you discover your own resources that may be hidden within and to understand and heal any pain, anxiety, or other feelings that you do not want to carry.

Every Session is Unique

The structure of sessions along your counselling journey may vary as your needs vary. You may feel you’d like to focus more on your past during some sessions, and others more on present feelings and experiences. When and how much to explore is entirely your choice. The goal of our sessions is to gain more understanding of you and your internal and external process, so that we can help you.

Exploring the past and present can each help in different ways. My aim with you is to gain an understanding of the emotions that are resulting in the behaviours or feelings you would like to change. By understanding these, their origins and purposes with compassion, curiosity and without judgment, we can help make changes at a neurobiological level, using IFS and memory reconsolidation, so they don’t negatively affect you.

Focusing on feelings in the present and current challenges in your life is equally important. We can discuss useful tools and techniques to manage your day-to-day difficulties in order to function more productively and to make better-informed decisions in relation to your life, work, and relationships.

Our Therapeutic Relationship

The connection which forms between counsellor and client is the “therapeutic relationship”. How you feel within this therapeutic relationship is paramount to your progress. It should provide you with a feeling of safety and comfort, and you should feel understood and free of judgment.

You Are Not Tied In

I recommend an initial session before any further commitment. Sometimes, through nobody’s fault, a client may not feel entirely comfortable with a therapist – it could be as simple as the therapist reminding a client of someone from their past, or maybe the therapist just doesn’t click for them. There is absolutely no commitment to continue with therapy or a particular therapist past the initial session.

What Now?

You don’t need a referral from your GP to start counselling, so waiting lists are far less typical. Contact me if you think that counselling is something you feel would benefit you.

If you would like to know more or discuss whether counselling may be right for you, please contact me by email or call me on 07761 489 931 . If you call while I am with a client or otherwise unavailable, leave a message and I will return your call within two working days.